Waking up with itchy bed bug bites after a hotel stay is never a pleasant surprise. Bed bugs—those reddish-brown critters about the size of an apple seed—can quickly turn a relaxing trip into a nightmare. Worse yet, they often hitch a ride home in your luggage, leading to a bed bug infestation in your home.
But don’t panic—there are steps you can take to contain the problem and prevent these pests from spreading.
Here’s what to do next:
Key Takeaways
- Finding bed bugs in your hotel room requires inspecting mattresses, furniture, and crevices with a flashlight.
- Reporting the infestation to hotel staff, changing rooms, and sealing belongings in plastic bags prevent spreading.
- Washing clothes in hot water, vacuuming luggage, and inspecting personal items help eliminate any hidden bugs.
- Monitoring your home for signs of infestation, using protective encasements, and calling pest control ensure long-term protection.
Inspect Your Hotel Room for Signs of Bed Bugs
Before leaving the infested room, inspect the hotel bed and surrounding furniture for signs of bed bugs.
Start with the headboard, mattress seams, and box springs—they often hide in these crevices during the day.
Check the bed frames, nightstands, and sofas for tiny black spots (fecal stains), blood spots, or discarded exoskeletons. Use a flashlight or your phone’s flashlight to inspect dark crevices where adults and nymphs may hide.
If you spot any telltale signs of bed bugs, proceed with caution to prevent taking them home.
Notify Hotel Staff and Request a Different Room
Report your findings to the front desk or hotel management immediately.
Be clear about the evidence you found, such as blood stains, black spots, or live critters. Request a different room that is not adjacent to or directly above or below the infested room.
Bed bugs can travel through walls, electrical outlets, and ventilation systems, so switching to a new room further away reduces the risk of encountering another infestation.
Document your interaction with hotel staff in case you need to follow up later.
Keep Your Belongings Contained in Plastic Bags
To prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride, seal your belongings in plastic bags or a garbage bag before leaving the hotel room. This includes clothes, shoes, toiletries, and electronics.
Keep your luggage on a luggage rack, not the floor or bed, to reduce the chances of contamination.
Once home, open these bags carefully outside or in a garage to avoid spreading any hidden critters indoors.
Wash and Dry Your Clothes Using Hot Water and High Heat
As soon as you get home, launder all clothing from your trip—even items you didn’t wear—in hot water. Use the highest heat setting on both your washing machine and dryer to kill bed bugs and their eggs.
Heat is one of the most effective ways to kill them, as they cannot survive temperatures above 120°F.
For delicate items that can’t be washed, consider placing them in a dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
Clean and Treat Your Luggage Thoroughly
Vacuum your luggage inside and out, paying attention to seams, zippers, and crevices. Empty the vacuum canister into a sealed garbage bag and dispose of it outside. Wipe down the hard surfaces with a cloth and hot water or an EPA-approved disinfectant.
For fabric luggage, use a handheld steamer to apply high heat that can penetrate deep into the material.
Consider storing it in sealed plastic bags or bug-proof containers until you’re sure it’s bed bug-free.
Inspect and Clean Other Personal Items
Carefully inspect shoes, toiletries, books, and electronics for signs of bed bugs. Wipe down hard surfaces with hot water or disinfectant wipes.
For items that cannot be washed or heated, seal them in plastic bags for several weeks to starve any hidden bed bugs.
Monitor Your Home for Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation
Even if you’ve taken precautions, keep an eye out for signs of bed bugs in your home.
Check your mattress, box springs, headboard, bed sheets, and linens for live bugs, blood stains, or black spots. Use a flashlight to inspect crevices in bed frames, nightstands, and sofas where bed bugs often hide.
Look for discarded exoskeletons, which indicate growing nymphs. If you notice any signs, act quickly to prevent a full-blown infestation.
Use Bed Bug-Proof Encasements for Your Mattress and Box Springs
Protect your mattress and box springs with bug-proof encasements. These specially designed covers trap any existing bed bugs inside, preventing them from feeding and eventually killing them.
Encasements also make it easier to spot new infestations by eliminating their usual hiding spots in mattress seams and folds.
Contact a Pest Control Company
If you suspect that bed bugs have made their way into your home, contact a licensed pest control company like LaJaunie’s Pest Control.
Our state-certified exterminators are experienced in identifying and treating bed bug infestations using proven methods that kill bed bugs at all life stages—from eggs and nymphs to adult bed bugs.
We provide same-day service across southeastern Louisiana, ensuring you can get back to a bed-bug-free home quickly.
Contact us now for a comfortable, bed-bug-free environment.